Won't load OS

ms wrote:
"Buffalo" wrote in
:



dadiOH wrote:

"Buffalo" wrote in news:hheen5$ci5$1

file is missing or corrupted; c:\windows\himem.sys
there is an error in line 1 of config.sys
[snip]
Restoring a registry does nothing for missing/bad files. System
file checker may if you have a Win98 install disk to get new/good
files.

I understand that, but I believe that I once had the message that the
himem.sys was missing and it actually wasn't and I believe that a
Registry restore solved my problem, of course that was a long time
ago and I may be mistaken.

To me a Registry restore is quick and easy and it is also easy to
restore back.
I use a program (Regback) (a simple batch file) that lets me keep up
to 15 registries (plus some other system files), and believe it or
not, when I was always tweaking (experimenting on) my Win98SE, that
came in handy.

Buffalo



Thanks for noting Regback, I just downloaded it (rev, 2- 5 kb) and
will start using it, the W98 default only saves IIRC 3 backups.

ms

I still use the old version which requires me to type cabrest at the DOS
Command Prompt.
I always got mixed up with regback and cabrest, so it's nice to know that
with the new batch file, you just type fixit .
Enjoy and have a Great New Year.
Buffalo

W98 can boot quite OK without those files.

If those files don't need to be there, but it is an incorrect startup file
that is trying to load them, then a registry restore would replace the
incorrect startup with the correct one, it wouldn't go looking look for
those files, and the system would boot.

So while a registry restore will not replace non-registry files that have
been deleted, it may well solve the problem nonetheless.
--
Jeff Richards
----------------------------------------

"Buffalo" wrote in message
...
snip
Restoring a registry does nothing for missing/bad files. System file
checker may if you have a Win98 install disk to get new/good files.

I understand that, but I believe that I once had the message that the
himem.sys was missing and it actually wasn't and I believe that a Registry
restore solved my problem, of course that was a long time ago and I may be
mistaken.

ms originally asked:-

What is the best way to save the existing installation?

Cut your loses.

Hook your HDD (e.g. via an IDE - USB adapter) to another PC, retrieve and
save your vital (personal) files, reformat your HDD and then do a fresh,
clean install (assuming you still have your original Win98 and Drivers CD's,
your Startup Floppy and the 25 digit code)

After some 48 hours of valiant effort, you're getting nowhere. A clean
install should only take a couple of hours and perhaps a few more updating
and re-installing your favourite applications.

Sorry to sound defeatist ...
... but these days I'm very tired and ..
Oh! - I know exactly what you mean.

Mart



"ms" wrote in message
...
"dadiOH" wrote in news:OE6VFMZiKHA.3792
@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl:

ms wrote:
"Buffalo" wrote in news:hheen5$ci5$1
@news.eternal-september.org:

if so, anyway no help.

Restoring a registry does nothing for missing/bad files. System
file
checker may if you have a Win98 install disk to get new/good files.

Thanks, dadiOH, but normally IIRC, you run System File Checker in a
operating system. Many years ago, I knew DOS well, but these days I'm
very tired and to try and work out the DOS path to the CD drive is
N/A.

ms

ms originally asked:-

What is the best way to save the existing installation?

Cut your loses.

Hook your HDD (e.g. via an IDE - USB adapter) to another PC, retrieve and
save your vital (personal) files, reformat your HDD and then do a fresh,
clean install (assuming you still have your original Win98 and Drivers CD's,
your Startup Floppy and the 25 digit code)

After some 48 hours of valiant effort, you're getting nowhere. A clean
install should only take a couple of hours and perhaps a few more updating
and re-installing your favourite applications.

Sorry to sound defeatist ...
... but these days I'm very tired and ..
Oh! - I know exactly what you mean.

Mart



"ms" wrote in message
...
"dadiOH" wrote in news:OE6VFMZiKHA.3792
@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl:

ms wrote:
"Buffalo" wrote in news:hheen5$ci5$1
@news.eternal-september.org:

if so, anyway no help.

Restoring a registry does nothing for missing/bad files. System
file
checker may if you have a Win98 install disk to get new/good files.

Thanks, dadiOH, but normally IIRC, you run System File Checker in a
operating system. Many years ago, I knew DOS well, but these days I'm
very tired and to try and work out the DOS path to the CD drive is
N/A.

ms

"Buffalo" wrote in
:



ms wrote:
"Buffalo" wrote in
:



dadiOH wrote:

"Buffalo" wrote in news:hheen5$ci5$1

file is missing or corrupted; c:\windows\himem.sys
there is an error in line 1 of config.sys
[snip]
Restoring a registry does nothing for missing/bad files. System
file checker may if you have a Win98 install disk to get new/good
files.

I understand that, but I believe that I once had the message that
the himem.sys was missing and it actually wasn't and I believe
that
a Registry restore solved my problem, of course that was a long
time
ago and I may be mistaken.

To me a Registry restore is quick and easy and it is also easy to
restore back.
I use a program (Regback) (a simple batch file) that lets me keep
up
to 15 registries (plus some other system files), and believe it or
not, when I was always tweaking (experimenting on) my Win98SE,
that
came in handy.

Buffalo



Thanks for noting Regback, I just downloaded it (rev, 2- 5 kb) and
will start using it, the W98 default only saves IIRC 3 backups.

ms

I still use the old version which requires me to type cabrest at
the DOS Command Prompt.
I always got mixed up with regback and cabrest, so it's nice to know
that with the new batch file, you just type fixit .
Enjoy and have a Great New Year.
Buffalo



Thanks for the help.

A question in Regback- where do you set it for 15 backups? I didn't
run it yet, but the text file does not discuss it.

ms

"Buffalo" wrote in
:



ms wrote:
"Buffalo" wrote in
:



dadiOH wrote:

"Buffalo" wrote in news:hheen5$ci5$1

file is missing or corrupted; c:\windows\himem.sys
there is an error in line 1 of config.sys
[snip]
Restoring a registry does nothing for missing/bad files. System
file checker may if you have a Win98 install disk to get new/good
files.

I understand that, but I believe that I once had the message that
the himem.sys was missing and it actually wasn't and I believe
that
a Registry restore solved my problem, of course that was a long
time
ago and I may be mistaken.

To me a Registry restore is quick and easy and it is also easy to
restore back.
I use a program (Regback) (a simple batch file) that lets me keep
up
to 15 registries (plus some other system files), and believe it or
not, when I was always tweaking (experimenting on) my Win98SE,
that
came in handy.

Buffalo



Thanks for noting Regback, I just downloaded it (rev, 2- 5 kb) and
will start using it, the W98 default only saves IIRC 3 backups.

ms

I still use the old version which requires me to type cabrest at
the DOS Command Prompt.
I always got mixed up with regback and cabrest, so it's nice to know
that with the new batch file, you just type fixit .
Enjoy and have a Great New Year.
Buffalo



Thanks for the help.

A question in Regback- where do you set it for 15 backups? I didn't
run it yet, but the text file does not discuss it.

ms

ms wrote:
"Buffalo" wrote in
:



dadiOH wrote:

"Buffalo" wrote in news:hheen5$ci5$1

file is missing or corrupted; c:\windows\himem.sys
there is an error in line 1 of config.sys
[snip]
Restoring a registry does nothing for missing/bad files. System file
checker may if you have a Win98 install disk to get new/good files.

I understand that, but I believe that I once had the message that the
himem.sys was missing and it actually wasn't and I believe that a
Registry restore solved my problem, of course that was a long time ago
and I may be mistaken.

To me a Registry restore is quick and easy and it is also easy to
restore back.
I use a program (Regback) (a simple batch file) that lets me keep up
to 15 registries (plus some other system files), and believe it or
not, when I was always tweaking (experimenting on) my Win98SE, that
came in handy.

Buffalo



Thanks for noting Regback, I just downloaded it (rev, 2- 5 kb) and
will start using it, the W98 default only saves IIRC 3 backups.

ms

As I recall, it's 5 backups, normally a new one for each day of the week.
To restore them the syntax is: scanreg /restore, as I recall. The nice
thing about using the standard built-in one here is that all 5 registry
backups show up clearly. (The option to allow for more backups by
modifying some ini file isn't so convenient in that respect)

BTW, for anyone interested, you can do a similar thing in Windows XP, by
using ERUNT.

ms wrote:
"Buffalo" wrote in
:



dadiOH wrote:

"Buffalo" wrote in news:hheen5$ci5$1

file is missing or corrupted; c:\windows\himem.sys
there is an error in line 1 of config.sys
[snip]
Restoring a registry does nothing for missing/bad files. System file
checker may if you have a Win98 install disk to get new/good files.

I understand that, but I believe that I once had the message that the
himem.sys was missing and it actually wasn't and I believe that a
Registry restore solved my problem, of course that was a long time ago
and I may be mistaken.

To me a Registry restore is quick and easy and it is also easy to
restore back.
I use a program (Regback) (a simple batch file) that lets me keep up
to 15 registries (plus some other system files), and believe it or
not, when I was always tweaking (experimenting on) my Win98SE, that
came in handy.

Buffalo



Thanks for noting Regback, I just downloaded it (rev, 2- 5 kb) and
will start using it, the W98 default only saves IIRC 3 backups.

ms

As I recall, it's 5 backups, normally a new one for each day of the week.
To restore them the syntax is: scanreg /restore, as I recall. The nice
thing about using the standard built-in one here is that all 5 registry
backups show up clearly. (The option to allow for more backups by
modifying some ini file isn't so convenient in that respect)

BTW, for anyone interested, you can do a similar thing in Windows XP, by
using ERUNT.

ms wrote:
"Buffalo" wrote in
:



ms wrote:
"Buffalo" wrote in
:



dadiOH wrote:

"Buffalo" wrote in news:hheen5$ci5$1

file is missing or corrupted; c:\windows\himem.sys
there is an error in line 1 of config.sys
[snip]
Restoring a registry does nothing for missing/bad files. System
file checker may if you have a Win98 install disk to get new/good
files.

I understand that, but I believe that I once had the message that
the himem.sys was missing and it actually wasn't and I believe that
a Registry restore solved my problem, of course that was a long
time ago and I may be mistaken.

To me a Registry restore is quick and easy and it is also easy to
restore back.
I use a program (Regback) (a simple batch file) that lets me keep
up to 15 registries (plus some other system files), and believe it
or not, when I was always tweaking (experimenting on) my Win98SE,
that came in handy.

Buffalo



Thanks for noting Regback, I just downloaded it (rev, 2- 5 kb) and
will start using it, the W98 default only saves IIRC 3 backups.

ms

I still use the old version which requires me to type cabrest at
the DOS Command Prompt.
I always got mixed up with regback and cabrest, so it's nice to know
that with the new batch file, you just type fixit .
Enjoy and have a Great New Year.
Buffalo



Thanks for the help.

A question in Regback- where do you set it for 15 backups? I didn't
run it yet, but the text file does not discuss it.

ms
I believe if you unzip your Regback file it will tell you.
This is what it said in my old Regback:

"The mechanism that Windows uses to control Scanreg is amazingly simple.
It's just a plain text file called SCANREG.INI which you can easily edit
with Notepad. When you run Scanreg, it first checks in this file to see if
you've customized any of the available parameters such as the maximum
number of backup copies, or where the copies are stored. To view and edit
SCANREG.INI, simply click once on a blank spot on the Desktop Taskbar and
press F3. Type SCANREG.INI in the Named: box, and type C:\WINDOWS in the
Look in: box. Click Find Now and in a moment, when you see the file in the
window simply double click it to launch it in Notepad. The standard version
of SCANREG.INI should read something like this:

;
; Scanreg.ini for making system backups.
;

;Registry backup is skipped altogether if this is set to 0
Backup=1

;Registry automatic optimization is skipped if this is set to 0
Optimize=1

ScanregVersion=0.0001
MaxBackupCopies=5 [We recommend changing this number to 14]

;Backup directory where the cabs are stored is
; windir\sysbckup by default. Value below overrides it.
; It must be a full path. ex. c:\tmp\backup"

ms wrote:
"Buffalo" wrote in
:



ms wrote:
"Buffalo" wrote in
:



dadiOH wrote:

"Buffalo" wrote in news:hheen5$ci5$1

file is missing or corrupted; c:\windows\himem.sys
there is an error in line 1 of config.sys
[snip]
Restoring a registry does nothing for missing/bad files. System
file checker may if you have a Win98 install disk to get new/good
files.

I understand that, but I believe that I once had the message that
the himem.sys was missing and it actually wasn't and I believe that
a Registry restore solved my problem, of course that was a long
time ago and I may be mistaken.

To me a Registry restore is quick and easy and it is also easy to
restore back.
I use a program (Regback) (a simple batch file) that lets me keep
up to 15 registries (plus some other system files), and believe it
or not, when I was always tweaking (experimenting on) my Win98SE,
that came in handy.

Buffalo



Thanks for noting Regback, I just downloaded it (rev, 2- 5 kb) and
will start using it, the W98 default only saves IIRC 3 backups.

ms

I still use the old version which requires me to type cabrest at
the DOS Command Prompt.
I always got mixed up with regback and cabrest, so it's nice to know
that with the new batch file, you just type fixit .
Enjoy and have a Great New Year.
Buffalo



Thanks for the help.

A question in Regback- where do you set it for 15 backups? I didn't
run it yet, but the text file does not discuss it.

ms
I believe if you unzip your Regback file it will tell you.
This is what it said in my old Regback:

"The mechanism that Windows uses to control Scanreg is amazingly simple.
It's just a plain text file called SCANREG.INI which you can easily edit
with Notepad. When you run Scanreg, it first checks in this file to see if
you've customized any of the available parameters such as the maximum
number of backup copies, or where the copies are stored. To view and edit
SCANREG.INI, simply click once on a blank spot on the Desktop Taskbar and
press F3. Type SCANREG.INI in the Named: box, and type C:\WINDOWS in the
Look in: box. Click Find Now and in a moment, when you see the file in the
window simply double click it to launch it in Notepad. The standard version
of SCANREG.INI should read something like this:

;
; Scanreg.ini for making system backups.
;

;Registry backup is skipped altogether if this is set to 0
Backup=1

;Registry automatic optimization is skipped if this is set to 0
Optimize=1

ScanregVersion=0.0001
MaxBackupCopies=5 [We recommend changing this number to 14]

;Backup directory where the cabs are stored is
; windir\sysbckup by default. Value below overrides it.
; It must be a full path. ex. c:\tmp\backup"